desideratum

Founding-era definition · Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

DESIDERATUM, noun plural Desiderata. [Latin To desire.] That which is desired; that which is not possessed, but which is desirable; any perfection or improvement which is wanted. The longitude is a desideratum in navigation. A tribunal to settle national disputes without war is a great desideratum
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI

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